Method of handling flongs



Dec. 2, 1924. 1,517,135

P. A. KAGEL METHOD OF HANDLING FLONGS Filed Oct. 1, 1923 Patented Dec. 2, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

PAUL A. KAGEL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

METHOD OF HANDLING FLONGS.

Application filed October 1, 1823.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, PAUL A. KAGEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful improved method of handling flongs for molding forms or plates in stereotyping, to produce a perfect flat and nonconcaved plate, of which the following is a specification.

Hcretofore in producing a matrix for the production of a stereotype plate, the form has been placed face upward upon an imposing table and a moist flong is laid upon the form. The flong is then carefully beaten with light and continued blows with an ordinary beating brush. After beating, a blanket is usually placed over the mat or flong and the whole is then placed in a press with the face of the form and flong uppermost. The back of the form rests upon a steam tablethat forms a part of the press. Steam pressure of approximately eighty pounds is admitted into the table and the form is allowed to remain in the press until the heat travels through the form from the back to the face thereof and to the mat or flong to dry the latter. After drying, the flong which constitutes the matrix is-then removed and is ready to be used in the casting box'to produce the printing plate from which the. reproductions are made.

It has been found that as a result of this method of producing the matrix and by means of the use of the blanket against the flong, the matrix will be so shaped that the printing area of the face of the printing plate produced from the matrix in the casting box will be concaved, more or less, causing the edges of the printing areas to be slightly higher than the remaining portions of the printing area, which result, for many and obvious reasons, is objectionable. Furthermore, in order to use such a plate after the same has been thusproduced, it is necessary to employ a make ready which of itself not only requires the services of an expert but is also a very expensive proposition.

To overcome all of these objections and difficulties and to provide an improved method or way of handling flongs for molding forms or plates in stereotyping to produce a printing surface, the entire print- Serial No. 665,868.

ing area of which printing surface will be perfectly flat and non-concaved, and by means of the use of which plate the expensive make ready will be dispensed with, is one of the objects of the present invention.

A further object is to provide an improved step in the method of producing a matrix and in which step of the operation the flong is interposed between the face of the form and the top of the heating table, thereby obviating the necessity of the heat traveling through the form to the flong, with the result that a less amount or smaller degree of steam pressure will be required in the steam table, thus not only materially reducing the cost of production, but also reducing the amount of time necessary to produce the matrix.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved step in the method of producing a matrix in which step the form having the moist fiong beaten down thereupon is placed in the press with blankets thereover and pressed so as to cause the tlong to become more firmly embedded in the crevices of the form and to insure that the flong will not drop off of the form during a subsequent step in this improved method. While in the press the flong is partially dried in the usual manner. If desired and in order to protect the face of the form from injury under the pressure in the press, protecting members may be arranged along the sides of the form and are of a height only slightly greater than the height of the printing surface or face of the type of the form. When pres sure is applied, the blankets will compensate the difference in the heights of the parts. The form and flong are then removed and the form with the fiong thereon is turned over and placed face downward upon a metallic surface and which surface is preferably in the form of a thin metal plate, which is slightly softer than the printing surface of the form or type. A sheet, preferably of felt may then be placed over the back of the form and the form is then beaten down from the back with a beating brush so as to raise any low portions of the printing area of the printing surface of the form with the consequent result that the corresponding surfaces or portions of the matrix will also be raised. The felt pieces when used prevent unnecessary printing portions, such as spaces, etc, being raised under the beating operation. The metal surface or plate being slightly softer than the printing surface will yield only sufficiently to prevent the face of the type or form from becoming injured or mashed. lVhile the form and flong are still in this position upon the plate, the whole is then placed in the press with the plate resting upon the steam table. A blanket may, if desired, be previously placed over the back of the form and a comparatively light pressure brought to bear upon the blanket and form.

As a means for protecting the surface or face of the form or type, protecting members orbars of a height only slightly greater than the height of the face of the form may be placed along the sides of the form before the latter is placed into the press. The blanket compensates the difference in the height of the parts and also assists in absorbing the moisture and facilitates in the drying of the matrix. The form and matrix are allowed to thus remain until the matrix has become dry, after which they are removed and the matrix is employed in the casting box in the ordinary and usual manner. In the event that the matrix has not become thoroughly dry after removing the same from the press and heating table, the matrix may be further dried by placing the same in what is commonly known in the trade as a roaster.

The direct contact of the metallic surface or plate against the surface of the steam table and also against the matrix ({LHSQS the latter to dry quickly as the heat does not have to travel through the body of the form. Furthermore with this improved method a matrix may be readily produced from a plate or form which is mounted upon a base or block without necessitating the removal of the form from the block or base, and at the same time considerably less steam pressure will be required in the steam table than is necessary in the methods heretofore employed.

To the attainment of these ends and the aceomplisl'nnent of other new and useful objects as will appear, the invention consists in substantially the improved step in -the method hereinafter more fully described and claimed and taken in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating diagrammatically an apparatus by means of the use of which this improved method may be carried into operation.

In the drawing Figure 1 represents the face of a plate or form, from which, the matrix is to be made.

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing the form upon the imposing table with the printing surface uppermost and the moist flong placed upon the form ready to be beaten down thereupon.

Figure 3 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of the press and steam table showing the form and flong in position in the press.

Figure if: is an elevation showing the form and partially shaped matrix inverted upon the metallic plate, the whole resting upon an imposing table.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing the form and partially formed nuitrix inverted upon the metallic plate and the whole placed within the press for linal drying.

Figure 6 is a face view of the matrix.

Figure 7 is a face view of the completed printing plate.

Throughout the specification and claims the heating table will be referred to as a steam table but it is to be understood that this is not to be considered as a term of limitation as any other method of heating the table may be employed. This improved method will be hereinafter described as be ing particularly adapted for use as a step in the process or method of preparing a stereotype plate for job printing, although it is to be understood that it is not to be limited in its use for such a purpose, as it may be employed with equal elliciency for other purposes.

Referring more particularly to the drawing the numeral 10 designates a form from which the stereotype plate is to be produced and which form is provided with a printing area or surface 11.

The numeral 12 designates the matrix which is produced from the form or plate.

This matrix is of the usual construction. In carrying this improved method into operation the form 10 is placed face upward ly upon an imposing table '13, after which the flong 12 is placed upon the face of the form to be beaten down thereupon in the ordinary and well-known manner and with the usual beating brush, usually accomplishml by light uniform blows. After the flong has been thus beaten down, blankets it may be placed over the fiong, the form, flong, and blankets being then moved into the press in the usual manner. The press consists of a steam table 15 and a plunger or pressure member 16, the latter being mounted in the ordinary and usual manner for adj ustmcni toward and away from the table 1.3 through the medium of the ordinary screw 17.

If desired and in order to protect the surface of the form from beinginjured by the pressure of the pressure men'ibcr 16, protecting bars or strips 16 of a height slightly greater than the surface of the type may be employed and arranged along the sides of the form. These bars or strips may be of any suitable material or may be built up in any suitable manner.

The table 15 is heated by admitting twenty to thirty pounds of steam thereinto and the form in this step of the operation rests directly upon the steam table. The plunger or pressure member 16 is then lowered and only a slight pressure is necessary to hold the parts in position and prevent the fiong from curling up as it drys. The blankets let will under such pressure compensate the difference in the height of the protecting strips 16 and the form.

During the drying operation the blankets will absorb some of the moisturewhich will facilitate the drying of the matrix.

After a partial drying the plunger or pressure member 16 is elevated and the form together with the partially formed matrix and blankets are removed from the press.

It has been found that by the use of the blankets, portions of the surface of the matrix will be more or less concaved owing to the thickness of the blanket and owing to the fact that the flong when pressed against the blanket or vice versa, will result in the flong conforming to the thickness of the blankets at such portions of the surface. This concavity is objectionable as it will be manifested in the plates which are produced from the matrix, so that in use and if such a concax ity exists, it is necessary to employ the expensive and well-known make ready.

In the present method and after the matrix and form have been removed from the press and heating table after being partially dried and before the matrix is removed from the form, the matrix and form are then inverted and placed upon a metallic surface the latter being preferably in the form of a comparatively thin plate 18, which surface or plate is slightly softer than the surface of the form 10* so as to yield slightly to protect the surface of the form and prevent the latter from becoming mutilated or damaged. The plate 18 is dis? posed upon the imposing table 13, and in this position the matrix 12 will rest fiat upon the metallic surface or plate 18 and the face of the form 10 will face downwardly and rest upon the matrix. With the parts in this position a sheet of material, preferably felt or the like is placed over the form and the back of the form 10 is then beaten with the usual beating brushes so as to raise the low portions of the form and consequently of the matrix. By the employment of the felt over the back of the form the unnecessary printing portions of the form, such as the spaces, etc, are prevented from being raised.

The blankets 14 may then be placed over the back of the form and the guards on protecting members 16 may then be placed along the sides of the form, after which the form together with the metallic plate 18 and the blankets are again inserted into the press so that the plate 18 will rest upon the steam table 15. The plunger or pressure member 16 is thenlowered and a slight pressure is exerted upon the matrix and form.

In this position it will be manifest that inasmuch as the plate 18 rests directly upon the steam table 15 and the matrix rests upon the plate, the heat from the table will be radiated through the plate and directly to the matrix, thereby facilitating in the drying of the latter and furthermore by reason of the direct contact of the plate 18 with the steam table and the matrix, it will only be necessary to employ a comparatively low steam pressure in the table.

After the matrix has become thoroughly dry and after having been removed from the press and stripped or removed from the face of the form, it is ready for use in the casting box in the ordinary and usual manner to produce the stereotype plate 19 therefrom.

If desired and before the matrix is placed in the casting box, the back thereof may be smoothed by sand or emery paper for the purpose of removing any burrs or projections which might be thereon.

What is claimed as new is:

1. The method of handling flongs for use in molding a printing plate, which consists in beating down a fiong upon the face of the form and from the face side of the form, then turning the form and flong over upon a metal surface which is slightly softer than the face of the form, then beating down the form upon the flong from the back of the form and while the flong rests against the said surface, and then removing the formed matrix from the form.

2. The method of handling flongs for use in molding a printing plate, which consists in beating down a moist flong upon the face of the form and from the face side of the form, then partially drying the flong while on the form, then turning the form and flong over upon a metal surface which is slightly softer than the face of the form, then beating down the form upon the fiong from the back of the form and while the flong rests against the said surface, then applying heat to the flong from the side adjacent the said plate to dry the formed matrix, and then removing the matrix from the form.

3. The method of handling flongs for use in molding a printing plate, which consists in beating down a moist flong against the face of a form and fro-m the front of the form, then partially drying the flong while on the form, then turning the form and flong over upon a metallic surface which is only slightly softer than the face of the form, then heating the said surface to dry the fiong by direct contact of the latter with the said surface, and then removing the dried matrix from the face of the fori'n.

t. The method of handling flongs for use in molding a printing plate, which consists in beating down a moist flong against the face of a form and from the front of the form, then partially drying the flong while on the form, then turning the form and flong over upon a metallic surface which is only slightly softer than the face of the form, then heating the said surface to dry the flong by direct contact of the latter with the said surface, applying pressure to the form and flong during the drying of the latter, and then removing the dried matrix from the face of the form.

5. The method of handling flongs for use in molding a printing plate, which consists in beating down a moist fiong against the face of a form and from the front of the form, then partially dryin the flong while on the form, then placing tlie form and flong against. a surface which is only slightly softer than the face of the form with the flong against the said surface, then beating down the form from the back thereof and against the flong and the said surface, then heating the said surface from the flong side of the said form to dry the flong and ap plying pressure upon the recited elements during the last referred to drying step, and then removing the matrix from the surface of the form.

6. The method of handling flongs for use in molding a printing plate, which consists in beating down a moist flong against the face of a form and from the front of the form, then placing about the form protecting members of a height slightly greater than the height of the face of the form, then applying pressure to the flong and partially drying the flong, then removing the form and flong and placing the same with the flong side downward against a surface only slightly softer than the face of the form, and then applying heat to the said surface.

7. The method of handling flongs for use in molding a printing plate, which consists in beating down amoist flong against the face of a form and from the front of the form, then placing about the form protecting members of a height slightly greater than the height of the face of the form, then applying pressure to the flong and partially drying the fiong, then removing the form and flong and placing the same with the flong side downward against a surface only slightly softer than the face of the form, then placing about the form protecting strips only slightly higher than the form, and then applying to the form pressure from the back of the form and heat from the face side of the form to dry the matrix.

8. The method of handling flongs for use in molding a printing plate, which consists in beating down a flong upon the face of the form and from the face side of the form, then turning the form and flong over upon a metal surface which is slightly softer than the face of the form, then placing a felt like mat over the back of the form, then beating down the form upon the flong from the back of the form and while the flong restsagainst the said surface, and then removing the formed matrix from the form.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, on this 13th day of September, A. D. 1923.

PAUL A. KA GEL. 

